Development of a wheelchair stability assessment system : Design tools and approaches
- Submitting institution
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Coventry University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 28424258
- Type
- C - Chapter in book
- DOI
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10.1007/978-3-030-26292-1_13
- Book title
- Design of assistive technology for ageing populations
- Publisher
- Springer
- ISBN
- 978-3030262914
- Open access status
- -
- Month of publication
- January
- Year of publication
- 2020
- URL
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-
- Supplementary information
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-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- Yes
- Number of additional authors
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2
- Research group(s)
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-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This output reports on design research led by Moody and undertaken within the NIHR i4i funded (£600,000) ‘Wheelchair Stability Assessment System (Wheel-SAS)’ project, which ran from 2010-2014. The project aimed to reduce wheelchair stability incidents (approximately 144,000 per annum in the UK alone), by designing and developing a system that enables wheelchair prescribers to reliably assess and adapt wheelchairs to meet individual needs. An ageing population will further increase wheelchair usage, and accelerate the need for wheelchair modifications to meet specific needs.
The system development involved multidisciplinary expertise from designers, engineers, human factors specialists, clinical specialists alongside end-users and stakeholders. The resulting WheelSense® system combines electronics and a weighing system in a folding platform. It is supported by a handheld device and graphic user interface (GUI) for guiding the prescription process, enabling data entry, and to support education of the wheelchair user in the limits of their chair.
User needs research informing the design and development was submitted to REF2014. At that point, the research was at the stage of evaluating comparative options for static and dynamic stability testing using a user-centred design process led by Moody to ensure that the system meets the needs, wants and capabilities of the user. The final design outlined here was finalised and evaluated during 2014, and this is the first time the full design process and its outcomes have been reported. The chapter is published in Design of Assistive Technology for Ageing Populations, edited by Woodcock and Moody and published by Springer. The outcomes have been disseminated through European and International conferences including Design4Health 2015 and the 30th International Seating Symposium 2014, Vancouver, Canada.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -